Sequels are usually hit or miss, not this time. While some sequels are disjointed and lack continuity from the previous film, A Quiet Place Part II takes the suspense to another level.  John Krasinski, who stars and directs, has a brilliant and creative vision for a story of survival in a setting with little to no resources, and even less places to hide.  The intensity of A Quiet Place Part II builds through many audible suspense moments that had me on the edge of my seat, wondering what danger is ahead and who is going to survive. Emily Blunt, Krasinski’s wife and co-lead, delivers a knockout performance in this second installment and is the key to the film’s chance of survival at the box office.

Picking up from the devastating impact the events of the previous film had on the Abbott family, A Quiet Place Part II follows the protagonists as they lose their home and shelter to the monstrous creatures that are sensitive to sound. Evelyn (Blunt), Regan (played by Millicent Simmonds), and Marcus (played by Noah Jupe) embark on the road in search of a new shelter.  Complicating matters are the cries of the infant child accompanying them, an unforeseen difficulty in a world where predators stalk their prey by sound.  There is hope though as they come across Emmett (played by Cillian Murphy). A Quiet Place Part II becomes an epic tale of resourcefulness as the group struggles to remain quiet and survive, aided by Regan who is deaf and uses sign language, a critical tool in the constant struggle for survival.

What spoke to me the most about this sequel is the use of sound.  There are many moments where fragments of sound can mean danger; the subsequent silence can be equally as frightening, with a jump-scare moment waiting to happen. Krasinski’s directing is purely calculated on these jump moments that paint the environment of A Quiet Place Part II as a dichotomy of sound and silence, survival and death. The expanded suspense of the characters leaving the safety of their home for the road opens doors for more questions about the best strategies for survival.

This film’s ambiance is truly best experienced in large formats. I saw this in IMAX and the use of silence made me feel like the absence of sound was itself like a character on screen, constantly signaling the acquisition of safety and the arrival of danger. I could feel the return of sound during the suspenseful payoff scenes; the atmosphere would be reverberating, and I felt I was truly immersed in the apocalyptic and creative world created by the vision of John Krasinski.

This suspense film is just brilliant, especially for a sequel. After a year and half delay due to the pandemic, A Quiet Place Part II was well worth the wait. For fans that loved the first movie, the sequel will not disappoint, with the many audiovisual elements of A Quiet Place Part II winding a path of excitement, fear, and curiosity. Four stars for A Quiet Place Part II.

The best part about this summer is the continuation of the creativity to experience classics. I saw the 1998 comedy and action flick Rush Hour outside in the Music Box Gardens lounge of Chicago. What made this experience nostalgic was that it felt like watching a film in a drive-in atmosphere, but instead with tables outside and a screen right in front of us in the outdoors. I loved laughing with many of the other cinema aficionados who was watching this film as well. I also felt like I was brought back to the era prior to how advanced our technology is. The funny moments between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker were such pure joy, and I have not laughed that hard to Rush Hour in ages.

To recap the plot of the film, Rush Hour gears on Lee and Carter (Chan and Tucker). Lee is an inspector and Carter is a detective. Lee is calm and goes by the rules, Carter (on the other hand) is obnoxious and reckless as a detective, and thinks he is a hot shot. They are both paired up to rescue a Consul’s kidnapped daughter and take down a dangerous crime lord. However, as their mission goes further, Lee and Carter learn a lot about each other and have their witty moments. Lee teaches Carter many tactics, and Carter does the same for Lee. That is where the film is hysterical and entertaining, because it is culture clashing and it is a joyride of laughs. The laughing outside made all the fun echo around the garden of the Music Box.

This is the type of film experiences that are still awesome to have (even post-pandemic). That is because it makes many of us have a chance to experience our favorite cult-classics for a second time, or even the first time. I have Seen Rush Hour before, but this still felt like a first, because I never saw this in a cinema. The outside experience felt like a treat. The entertainment was endless.

This is the year to be back in the cinema scene (while being safe). Music Box has had such a creative team behind what cinema enthusiasts love, and how they can still love cinema when resources are limited. I am also excited for the many events that Music Box has planned throughout the coming months (both outside and inside). I had a fun time with this classic. Three and a half stars for Rush Hour and a night of cinema entertainment.

In Antonio Campos’s The Devil All the Time, the title speaks for itself with the direction the film starts with once the film begins. The Devil All the Time is chronological with a set of sinister scenarios that impacts one another throughout the film’s timeline. Campos’s theme of religion is the dark and unsettling concept of The Devil All the Time. What makes the film more mesmerizing is the characters that can portray sinister elements. The sinister elements will bring many unexpected surprises.

The Devil All the Time takes place in the rural areas of Ohio and West Virginia. The era is also at the end of World War II around the 1960s. The film introduces us to a variety of twisted characters set after World War II. The film introduces us to Willard Russell (played by Bill Skarsgard), a veteran that is having psychological problems and has a wife that is on the verge of death due to cancer. From there, there is Carl and Sandy Henderson (played by Jason Clarke and Riley Keough), a couple that are serial killers that act as photographers and find people to pose for photos and then they demolish them. A preacher named Roy (played Harry Melling) and his sidekick Theodore (played by Pokey Lafarge) running from the law. A new pastor with a dark side is now a part of the church and he is Preston (played Robert Pattinson). The one though that is the main character in front of all this is Arvin Russell (played by Tom Holland). Arvin is one that grows to be mature, but from his past and having a psychotic father, he is known to have violence in his own self. As he comes to realize the outcomes in his life due to corruption, he grows to put the pieces together and take risks in his own hands.

The Devil All the Time has tons of psychotic characters, but many are just thrown in rather quickly. I felt the new sinister characters were off-putting when they were introduced. Examples of this would be the weird scenarios coming up after the characters being in the film for a generous amount of time for its viewers to have an idea of them. Also, a random murder would just come around out of the blue, when I thought the focus was one or two other elements. Therefore, I felt I had to back track from time to time of why a character decides to be insane. The murders may come up at inconvenient moments, but the acting is superb. Especially with the tension between Holland and Patterson. Both have evil sides that create the tone to expect evil judgment towards one another to happen. Another element that adds to the psychotic behaviors, the undefined murders, and disturbing personalities is religion. That is because many of the characters are insane, but also religious. That made me realize that they feel their beliefs of evil is good, which it is not, and that is why The Devil All the Time challenges the mindsets of its characters.

The Devil All the Time left me with questions. I was also left wondering why the characters made scary choices, but also wondering how it links to their past. That is why I said earlier, some of the unexpected violence was off-putting, because I still ask myself what drives the crazy of some in the film. Regardless of its unprecedented timing, The Devil all the Time is worthy of a viewing. The acting, the cinematography, and the setting all fits to be a ride of terror, tension, political, and a twist of religious beliefs. Three stars for The Devil All the Time.